Introduction This paper presents research on how public librarians in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden view the importance of social reading and related professional roles.
Method Previous research findings from a questionnaire administered to public librarians are analysed in depth in order to identify trends that can be further investigated in a subsequent qualitative study.
Analysis The previous findings broadly show variation in the importance of social reading activities and related professional roles at the country level. A detailed understanding of the variations are elicited through a more comprehensive analysis at the country and community levels.
Results Social reading is more important in larger communities in Iceland and Sweden and smaller communities in Denmark and Norway. The role of literary mediator appears to correspond highly to librarians' professional role across all countries and community sizes whereas that of literary critic somewhat less.
Conclusion The results establish a need for further research on social reading in public libraries and provide a basis and direction for continued research, specifically to gain insight into the types and nature of activities generally included in social reading and the extent digital solutions are used.